Whole Grains

By Hklbrries

A whole lot of health benefits. Are you ready to do something wonderful for your heart that your taste buds will appreciate? One of the best ways you can guard against heart disease is to choose whole-grain, high-fiber foods as part of a balanced diet that includes vegetables and fruits, lean meats, and fat-free and low-fat dairy products.

Whole-grain foods can work as main dishes or side dishes. They can play a starring role not only in baked goods, but also in salads, sandwiches, soups, stews, pastas and casseroles. And they can add great tastes and textures to your healthy diet. It's time to go with the grain!

Breaking it Down: First, let's look at what grains are: any food made from wheat, rice, oats, corn or another cereal. There are two main types of grain products: whole grains and refined grains.

Whole grains or foods made from them contain all the essential parts and naturally occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed. They also contain beneficial levels of dietary fiber. Whole grains are available as a single food such as wild rice or popcorn, or as part of multi-ingredient foods such as multi-grain breads. At least half of your daily grain servings should be whole grains.

Refined grain products such as wheat flour, white bread and white rice, are milled to remove the bran and germ, which takes out much of the nutrients and the fiber. While most refined grains have some of the vitamins and iron added back in a process called enrichment, the dietary fiber is not replaced after refining. Limit your intake of refined grains.

Whole-Grain Foods Provide:

Dietary fiber, which aids in digestion, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower the risk of heart disease.

Important key nutrients such as B vitamins, which play a key role in metabolism: iron, which is used to carry oxygen in the blood; magnesium, which helps build bones; and manganese, which helps release energy from muscles.

A feeling of fullness with fewer calories, which may help with weight management.

Ingredients

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Details

Adapted from americanheart.org

Preparation

Step 1

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